1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a smart and beguiling child who can manipulate her parents with alarming ease
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2
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
the beguiling allure of a life of crime
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1
as in fascinating
to attract or delight as if by magic
the magician effortlessly beguiled and amazed the children
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2
as in deceiving
to cause to believe what is untrue
beguiled her into believing that yet another worthless item would enhance her life
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3
as in tempting
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
was beguiled by the promise of easy money as a drug dealer
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of beguiling
Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Since her beguiling breakout role as a nightclub singer in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), Rossellini has navigated her career with a playful spirit.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
The New York alto saxophonist, composer, vocalist and bandleader makes her Bay Area debut this weekend with a series of gigs, introducing a beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
What makes this especially beguiling is that the fakery is usually hard to spot and tends to be contrived in a manner that leads you to believe the output is true.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beguiling 
Adjective
Both stories could serve as metaphors for the beguiling, febrile experience of reading Murakami’s best fiction.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Since her beguiling breakout role as a nightclub singer in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), Rossellini has navigated her career with a playful spirit.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
The New York alto saxophonist, composer, vocalist and bandleader makes her Bay Area debut this weekend with a series of gigs, introducing a beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
What makes this especially beguiling is that the fakery is usually hard to spot and tends to be contrived in a manner that leads you to believe the output is true.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beguiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguiling
Adjective
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Finally, and most importantly, a competitive culture will reinforce a mindset essential to countering the cunning and ambitious threats in space.Charles Beames, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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Amid a deadly winter, survival transforms into a perilous game of cunning and betrayal.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The show is all about performance, as the only way to win the game is by deceiving the others.Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
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Longstanding consumer protection laws prohibit business in other industries from deceiving consumers about fees and pricing.Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Pokémon Horizons Netflix Pokémon is the biggest media franchise on the planet, and for good reason — it's got over 1000 cute little creatures to be friends with, some solid themes of friendship and striving to be your best, and strong character work across the franchise.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
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Eventually, though, this cute succulent will look just like a tiny tree.Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The law is intended to protect consumers from false advertising or deceptive practices, which the suit claims applies to the promotion of women's sports that may include transgender participants.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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That will in turn spread on social media, which often plays a disproportional role in boosting these disinformation efforts by providing nearly unlimited platforms for unfiltered content and fallacious and deceptive claims.Peter Suciu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The church was notorious for luring in young industry strivers; one of Scott’s good friends had joined.Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
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Underwood, a former grocery store worker, hit the 10-year-old with a cutting board after luring her into his residence, per AP, The Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman.Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The emphasis is on results that are subtle yet effective, ensuring that individuals look refreshed and youthful without appearing overdone.Michelle Lee, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
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While China remains outwardly sanguine on North Korea, subtle differences in their diplomatic relations this year may signal rising frustration with Kim Jong Un's deepening military cooperation with Russia.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nashville) Letter:Trump's false claims on pet-eating scared me into hiding my cat.David Plazas, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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The scam, which ran from 2014 through September 2022, involved coordinated trading of the stocks of both companies, creating a false impression of demand for their shares, which traded on OTC Marketplace.Dan Mangan, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This may be a hot take, but not all cooking tools and kitchen gadgets are worth splurging on—even the ones that seem enticing at first.Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
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Art Deco is enticing in art and in theaters, not so much in a home with drooling pets and messy toddlers.Amanda Lauren, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near beguiling
Cite this Entry
“Beguiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguiling. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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